Skimming Device Found On ATM

On Thursday, March 12, Glen Cove Police Det. Brian Glennon and officer Eddy Linares discovered a skimming device on the ATM located inside the 7-11 on 194 Glen St. in Glen Cove. According to police, the device was recovered by authorities before the thieves could retrieve it to access the information, so no accounts were compromised from this particular device. Still, police said they are uncertain how long the thieves might have been operating in the store.

The skimming device which was overlaid over the access door of the ATM.

“Although officers removed this device before the credit information was obtained, we do not know if these thieves were replacing the device every few days,” said Lt. John Nagle.

A skimming device is used by thieves to gather credit and debit card information. This is done by attaching an overlay over the access door which contains a pin hole camera. This overlay looks like it is part of the ATM, but it’s not. The skimmer records the debit/credit card information and the pin hole camera records the pin number the victim enters. This gives the thieves your credit card number and pin number. Armed with this information the thieves can do a lot of damage to your credit in a matter of minutes.

Nagle said there are some things people can do to protect themselves from these ATM scams.
“The first thing a person should do when using a ATM is to inspect the ATM for any unusual items installed in or around the keypad. Many of the counterfeit devices are installed with double-sided tape over the access door. Give the access door a little tug, if it moves notify the bank and the police.”

The pin hole camera that was taped over the keypad, which would capture then pin number being entered.

Other suggestions he gave are to always cover the keypad with your other hand when entering your pin number.

“This way, if the ATM has an illegal pin hole camera it can’t capture your pin number while you are entering it,”said Nagle.

Nagle advises anyone who used this particular ATM at this 7-11 to check their credit for any unusual activity. Immediately notify your bank or credit card provider if you notice any suspicious activity.

“Another good idea is to change your password or pin number if you think someone may have compromised it,” said Nagle. “Make sure to check your credit reports for any strange activity. If you notice strange activity notify your bank/credit card provider immediately and notify the police.”